Self-shrinking soft demoulding for complex high-aspect-ratio microchannels

Fan, Dongliang1,2; Yuan, Xi3,4; Wu, Wenyu5; Zhu, Renjie1,2; Yang, Xin1,2; Liao, Yuxuan1,2; Ma, Yunteng1; Xiao, Chufan3,4; Chen, Cheng6; Liu, Changyue3,4; Wang, Hongqiang1,2,7; Qin, Peiwu3,4

2022-08-29

10.1038/s41467-022-32859-z

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS   Impact Factor & Quartile

2041-1723

["Microchannels are the essential elements for the design of artificial devices but the fabrication of three dimensional (3D) microchannels with complex geometry and a high aspect ratio remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate a simple and solvent-free fabrication method capable of producing monolithic microchannels with complex 3D structures, long length, and small diameter.","Microchannels are the essential elements in animals, plants, and various artificial devices such as soft robotics, wearable sensors, and organs-on-a-chip. However, three-dimensional (3D) microchannels with complex geometry and a high aspect ratio remain challenging to generate by conventional methods such as soft lithography, template dissolution, and matrix swollen processes, although they are widespread in nature. Here, we propose a simple and solvent-free fabrication method capable of producing monolithic microchannels with complex 3D structures, long length, and small diameter. A soft template and a peeling-dominant template removal process are introduced to the demoulding process, which is referred to as soft demoulding here. In combination with thermal drawing technology, microchannels with a small diameter (10 mu m), a high aspect ratio (6000, length-to-diameter), and intricate 3D geometries are generated. We demonstrate the vast applicability and significant impact of this technology in multiple scenarios, including soft robotics, wearable sensors, soft antennas, and artificial vessels."]

SCI

English

First ; Corresponding

National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China[51905256] ; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China[2020A1515010955] ; Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality["ZDSYS20200811143601004","JCYJ20190809180003689","JSGG20200225150707332","JSGG20191129110812708"] ; Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province of China (State Key Laboratory of Robotics)[2021-KF-22-11] ; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou)[K19313901] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[31970752]

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Multidisciplinary Sciences

WOS:000847533800012

NATURE PORTFOLIO

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Energy Engn, Shenzhen Key Lab Biomimet Robot & Intelligent Sys, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Human Augmentat & Rehabil, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.Tsinghua Shenzhen Int Grad Sch, Inst Biopharmaceut & Hlth Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
4.Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Inst, Ctr Precis Med & Healthcare, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
5.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Syst Design & Intelligent Mfg, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, Peoples R China
6.Natl Univ Singapore, Dept Biomed Engn, Singapore 117575, Singapore
7.Southern Marine Sci & Engn Guangdong Lab Guangzho, Guangzhou 510000, Peoples R China

Fan, Dongliang,Yuan, Xi,Wu, Wenyu,et al. Self-shrinking soft demoulding for complex high-aspect-ratio microchannels[J]. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,2022,13(1).

Fan, Dongliang.,Yuan, Xi.,Wu, Wenyu.,Zhu, Renjie.,Yang, Xin.,...&Qin, Peiwu.(2022).Self-shrinking soft demoulding for complex high-aspect-ratio microchannels.NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,13(1).

Fan, Dongliang,et al."Self-shrinking soft demoulding for complex high-aspect-ratio microchannels".NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 13.1(2022).